The main objective of the programme is to improve the prevention, reporting and prosecution of acts of corruption, as well as the seizure and confiscation of assets linked to such corruption, throughout the EU Southern Neighbourhood.

The programme aims to:

• Improve inter-institutional and intra-regional coordination in corruption-related investigations [PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION]
• Improve mechanisms and modalities to prevent acts of corruption in the region [INVESTIGATION, PROSECUTION OF CORRUPTION]
• Improve the efficiency of anti-corruption investigations, prosecutions and adjudication of corruption offences with emphasis on improved number of seizures and/or confiscation of assets linked to acts of corruption [MANAGEMENT OF RECOVERED ASSETS LINKED TO ACTS OF CORRUPTION]
• Strengthen policies among Southern Neighbourhood countries to allow for streamlined region-based information sharing in the tracing and recovery of assets linked to corruption [REGION-WIDE NETWORK TO SHARE INFORMATION ON CROSSBORDER CORRUPTION CASES]

Key Activities include:

• Support to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and investigative journalists on how to professionally uncover and report on acts of national and cross-border corruption.
• Expert technical advice to strengthen financial disclosure systems.
• Technical advice to policymakers to draft legislation and/or institutional guidelines aimed at improving the efficiency of initiating, prosecuting and/or resolving cases involving acts of corruption.
• Technical advice to police, prosecutors on actual pending cases involving acts of corruption, as well as on cases involving the seizure and confiscation of assets linked to acts of corruption.
• Technical advice to police, prosecutors on the effective application of non-conviction-based forfeiture of assets linked to acts of corruption.
• Draft policies aimed at transparent management of seized and/or confiscated assets, and which identify specific usages of recovered assets.
• Technical advice to law enforcement on how to constructively engage with foreign jurisdictions regarding the recovery of assets linked to acts of corruption.
• Provision of support for the establishment of an informal regional information sharing network to facilitate cross-border cooperation in corruption-related cases, and to facilitate the seizure and confiscation of assets linked to acts of corruption.